This invention relates generally to an improved tire structure as well as to a method of improving the transmission of power through tires to a supporting surface. More particularly, the invention relates to the transmission of torque from the bead to the tread of a tire to provide a plurality of favorable force couples within the sidewall of the tire to transmit torque through the sidewall of the tire.
Tire structures and materials for constructing tires are discussed thoroughly in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,576. In that patent, a plurality of elongated connecting members either comprise a portion of the bead or are connected to the bead through at least 180 degrees of the bead. I have now discovered that torque can be transmitted advantageously through a sidewall wherein elongated connecting members are connected tangentially to the bead and a certain surface area of the sidewall defined by the bead and tangents thereto is reinforced, which also achieves certain other desirable properties.